How Many Teaspoons Are in a Tablespoon?
Quick Answer: 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon · 15 mL · ½ fluid ounce
At a glance
- 1 US / UK / Canada tablespoon = 3 teaspoons (15 mL — the standard almost everywhere)
- 1 Australian tablespoon = 4 teaspoons (20 mL — the only exception)
- 1 metric tablespoon (EU) = 3 teaspoons (15 mL — same as US)
A tablespoon contains exactly 3 teaspoons (~15 mL, ½ fluid ounce) in the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and continental Europe. Australia is the one exception — the Australian tablespoon is larger at 20 mL (4 teaspoons), which can throw off recipes by 33% if unnoticed. For baking, where the right amount of yeast, salt, or baking soda makes or breaks a recipe, this matters.
How many teaspoons in 1 tablespoon?
tablespoon → teaspoon Quick Converter
Need more features? Try our complete tablespoon to teaspoon converter.
1 tablespoon on the teaspoon scale
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
Did you know? Most kitchen measuring spoon sets sold in the US come in standard sizes — ¼ tsp, ½ tsp, 1 tsp, and 1 tbsp — plus sometimes ¼ tbsp and ½ tbsp. If yours doesn’t have ½ tbsp, just use 1½ tsp instead.
The Australian 20 mL tablespoon is the largest widely-used tablespoon and the main modern exception. Historical oddities included the 17.7 mL Imperial tablespoon (now obsolete) and the German 15 mL Esslöffel — identical to the US standard. If a recipe is Australian, multiply tablespoons by 4/3 when adapting to US spoons; for teaspoons, just convert the Australian 5 mL teaspoon directly (they match).
Formula
Values follow the US customary system as published by NIST (Office of Weights and Measures). 1 US tablespoon is defined as exactly 14.7867648438 mL (commonly rounded to 14.79 in technical contexts or 15 mL in recipes); 1 US teaspoon is exactly 4.9289215938 mL (commonly rounded to 4.93 or 5 mL). The 3:1 ratio of teaspoons per tablespoon is exact by definition in US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand.
Tablespoons to Teaspoons Conversion Table
mL values are NIST-exact, rounded to 1 decimal.
| Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Fluid Ounces | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ | ¾ | ⅛ | 3.7 |
| ⅓ | 1 | ⅛ | 4.9 |
| ½ | 1½ | ¼ | 7.4 |
| ⅔ | 2 | ¼ | 9.9 |
| ¾ | 2¼ | ⅜ | 11.1 |
| 1 | 3 | ½ | 14.8 |
| 1½ | 4½ | ¾ | 22.2 |
| 2 (⅛ cup) | 6 | 1 | 29.6 |
| 3 | 9 | 1½ | 44.4 |
| 4 (¼ cup) | 12 | 2 | 59.1 |
| 5⅓ (⅓ cup) | 16 | 2⅔ | 78.9 |
| 8 (½ cup) | 24 | 4 | 118.3 |
| 12 (¾ cup) | 36 | 6 | 177.4 |
| 16 (1 cup) | 48 | 8 | 236.6 |
What is a teaspoon? What is a tablespoon?
Teaspoon
A teaspoon (abbreviated tsp) is the smallest standard measuring spoon in US recipes. 1 US teaspoon = 5 mL ≈ ⅓ tablespoon = ⅟ fluid ounce (precise value: 4.9289 mL, rounded to 4.93 in technical contexts). The name comes from the actual spoon used to stir tea in the 17th century — a smaller version of the soup-eating spoon.
Don’t confuse the measurement teaspoon with an everyday eating teaspoon. The eating teaspoon you use at breakfast can hold anywhere from 2.5 to 7 mL depending on brand and style — using it to measure will give unreliable results. Always use a dedicated measuring teaspoon.
Tablespoon
A tablespoon (abbreviated tbsp, sometimes T) is equal to 3 teaspoons = 15 mL = ½ fluid ounce in the US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand (precise value: 14.7868 mL, rounded to 14.79 in technical contexts). The Australian tablespoon is larger at 20 mL — the only common exception.
The name literally means a spoon used at the table for serving food (not to confuse with a serving spoon or ladle). In recipes the tablespoon is mid-sized between teaspoon and ¼ cup (¼ cup = 4 tablespoons).
Standard Tablespoon vs Australian Tablespoon
Nearly every English-speaking country uses the same 15 mL tablespoon — except Australia, which has the largest widely-used tablespoon at 20 mL. This is a real recipe-breaker for baking:
- US, UK, Canada, NZ, EU: 1 tbsp = 15 mL = 3 teaspoons
- Australia: 1 tbsp = 20 mL = 4 teaspoons
If an Australian recipe calls for “1 tablespoon” and you use a US measuring spoon, you’ll be 25% short — and for yeast, baking soda, or salt in a baking recipe, that difference ruins the outcome. Converting:
- Aussie recipe → US spoons: multiply tablespoons by 4/3 (e.g. 3 AU tbsp → 4 US tbsp).
- US recipe → Aussie spoons: multiply by 3/4, or just use teaspoons (they match: 5 mL in both countries).
Good news: in measuring practice the teaspoon is 5 mL virtually everywhere; the strict US customary derivation is 4.93 mL. When in doubt, measure using teaspoons and multiply — you’ll be right for almost every recipe.
US Liquid Measurement Hierarchy
1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 fl oz = 946 mL
1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fl oz = 473 mL
1 cup = 8 fl oz = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 237 mL
1 tablespoon = 3 tsp = ½ fl oz = 15 mL
1 teaspoon = ⅓ tbsp = 5 mL
How to Measure Accurately
Liquid ingredients
- Use a clear liquid measuring cup on a flat surface. Pour in the liquid, then crouch to read the meniscus at eye level. Reading from above can add 5–15% error.
- For sticky liquids (honey, syrup, molasses), lightly oil the cup first — the ingredient slides out cleanly with no residue.
Dry ingredients
- Spoon the ingredient into the cup, then level the top with the flat edge of a knife. Do not pack it down unless the recipe explicitly says so (packed brown sugar is the common exception).
- Flour scooped directly from the bag compacts and adds up to 25% more than intended — the #1 cause of dry, dense baked goods.
Pro tip: for baking, a kitchen scale beats any measuring cup. 1 US cup of all-purpose flour ≈ 120 g, but this varies by brand and technique — weighing eliminates the variance entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Exactly 3 teaspoons in 1 US tablespoon. This is the same in the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.
What is 1 tablespoon in mL?
1 US tablespoon = 15 mL (precise value 14.79 mL). The Australian tablespoon is 20 mL (4 teaspoons), so adjust if using AU recipes.
How do I measure half a tablespoon?
Use 1½ teaspoons. Half a tablespoon = ½ × 3 = 1.5 tsp = 7.4 mL.
How many teaspoons in 2 tablespoons?
6 teaspoons (2 tbsp × 3 tsp = 6 tsp = 29.57 mL). Useful for recipes that call for ⅛ cup (which equals 2 tbsp = 6 tsp).
Related Cooking Conversions
- How many tablespoons in a cup? — 16 tbsp
- How many tablespoons in an ounce? — 2 tbsp
- How many ounces in a cup? — 8 fl oz
- How many cups in a pint? — 2 cups
- How many cups in a quart? — 4 cups
- How many cups in a gallon? — 16 cups
- How many ounces in a quart? — 32 fl oz
- How many teaspoons in a cup? — 48 tsp
- How many ounces in a tablespoon? — 0.5 fl oz
- Volume to Weight (ingredients) — how much does 1 tablespoon of honey weigh?
- Weight to Volume (ingredients) — convert 20 g of baking powder to tsp
- All Cooking Measurement Tools
All values use US/UK customary measurements. 1 US tablespoon = 15 mL = 3 teaspoons; 1 teaspoon = 5 mL (precise values 14.79 mL / 4.93 mL in technical contexts). The Australian tablespoon (20 mL = 4 tsp) is the main modern exception.